1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to saw caddies. More particularly, the present invention relates to a saw caddy for holding a saw within easy reach.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Circular saws are widely used by carpenters and other craftsmen to cut boards or other work pieces. Additionally, carpenters typically use saw horses or workbenches to support boards at an ergonomic height to facilitate cutting of the boards.
When a carpenter wishes to reposition a board or retrieve another board, he or she must typically rest his or her saw on the ground. Placing a saw on or retrieving a saw from the ground requires a carpenter to bend over placing stress on his or her back. Such back stress commonly results in back injury. A saw lying on the ground may also pose a tripping hazard, especially at busy construction sites. Additionally, saws lying on the ground may become contaminated with dirt or sand, which may damage components such as motors. Furthermore, exposed spinning blades present extreme safety hazards, if saw are laid on the ground.
In response, saw caddies have been developed to hold saws in more convenient positions without requiring carpenters to bend over. However, current saw caddies are typically designed to mate with a particular saw and thus may not work with a wide variety of saws or other tools. Additionally, carpenters are typically required to precisely guide their saws onto or into current saw caddies, which can distract them from other work. Furthermore, current saw caddies are typically expensive, complex to install, and may require removal, in order to fold collapsible saw horses.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved saw caddy that overcomes the limitations of the prior art.
The present invention overcomes the above-identified problems and provides a distinct advance in the art of saw caddies. More particularly, the present invention provides a saw caddy for conveniently holding a saw within easy reach of a user. The saw caddy is preferably secured to a leg of a workstation. In this manner, the saw caddy may support the saw in close proximity to and slightly below a work surface of the workstation. This permits a user of the saw caddy to seat the saw upon and retrieve the saw from the saw caddy without having to bend over. Use of the saw caddy therefore eliminates back injury and stress associated with bending over to rest the saw on and retrieve the saw from the ground.
The saw caddy is designed for use with a saw having a blade, an upper blade guard (UBG), and a saw table that extends beyond the blade and the saw UBG. The saw caddy is preferably formed of a single piece of metal and broadly comprises a mounting segment to secure the saw caddy to the workstation leg, an offsetting segment to offset the saw from the workstation leg, and a retaining segment to retain the saw UBG of the saw on the saw caddy. The mounting segment preferably includes two mounting holes designed to accept a fastener to secure the saw caddy to the workstation leg.
A bottom edge of the mounting segment abuts a top edge of the offsetting segment such that the mounting segment meets the offsetting segment at a first angle of approximately twenty-five degrees. A bottom edge of the offsetting segment abuts a bottom edge of the retaining segment such that the offsetting segment meets the retaining segment at a second angle of approximately forty-five degrees. The second angle forms a vertex which is offset approximately one half inch from a plane of the mounting segment.
The vertex""s offset allows the saw UBG to seat within the vertex while the blade of the saw is held substantially vertical, which is a normal operating orientation for the saw. Without the vertex""s offset, due to the saw table, the saw would need to be tilted in order for the saw UBG to seat within the vertex. Thus, the vertex""s offset allows the user to seat the saw upon the saw caddy and retrieve the saw from the saw caddy in the normal orientation and without having to tilt the saw.
The first and second angles cause the offsetting and retaining segments to guide the saw UBG into position within the vertex. For example, the user may slide the saw UBG downward along the mounting segment. In this case, due to the first angle, the offsetting segment will guide the saw UBG outward toward the vertex. Alternatively, the user may slide the saw UBG downward spaced from the mounting segment. In this case, due to the first and second angles, the retaining segment will guide the saw UBG inward toward the vertex. Thus, the user is not required to guide the saw onto the saw caddy, since the offsetting segment and the retaining segment ensure that the saw UBG is properly seated within the vertex. Additionally, arcuate corners of the retaining segment guide the saw into place by laterally centering the saw UBG within the vertex.
As a result, the user is not required to look at the saw caddy or the saw while seating the saw upon or retrieving the saw from the saw caddy. In fact, the user is only required to have a general knowledge of the saw caddy""s location. The saw caddy is preferably colored red or another bright color in order to aid the user in quickly spotting the saw caddy.
It should be obvious that the saw caddy of the present invention conveniently holds the saw within easy reach of the user, while protecting the saw and the user from hazards normally presented by laying the saw on the ground.